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Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Imagine me as a kid, sitting in one of the top right rows of this dark cinema, craning my neck to get a better view of the action on screen. It was raining in that scene, and the little people in their little jeeps were looking around like idiots. And then, outta nowhere came this gigantic monster, its bloodcurdling roar pierced the air and my ears. It bared its teeth. It looked at the trapped little people in their little jeeps. Dinner was served.

It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the movie was Jurassic Park, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.

I'll never know when I got bit by the dinosaur bug, but it was Jurassic Park that ignited that spark that turns me into a blithering blogger when faced with pictures of tyrannosaurs. I watched the darn thing more than 20 times, my prized VHS copy rewound almost raw, and would drool at the site of its toys at the mall. But it wasn't just fascination that I got from that movie...I also learned a couple of things about life that you may not learn without having faced an angry T-Rex.

Be careful what you wish for.

John Hammond must have been such a kid at heart to think about buying an entire island, loading it with amusement park rides and tampering with Mother Nature just to be able to say he owns a theme park with dinosaurs. But thanks to him, I now know you don't always need what you want. An island full of giant dinosaurs may sound awesome, but don't be surprised when you get exactly what you wanted.

Cardio. Cardio. Cardio.

I was a pretty skinny kid, and I couldn't do pull ups (even with help) to save my life. But seeing Dr. Grant and the two kids basically go through the workout of their lives running from velociraptors or climbing down trees to avoid being run over by a jeep made me realize how important it was to stay fit. Now I go jogging with officemates twice a week, with the thought of a 'raptor chasing me giving me that extra edge to keep me going.

Don't imitate...innovate!

Innovation is the spice of life, and Jurassic Park taught me that it's fun to do something new and exciting. Who knows? It might save your life! Dr. Grant using those signal flares to distract the T-Rex somewhere else? Fun! Ian Malcolm just doing the very same thing but luring the T-Rex to him instead? Not fun. It was an innovative way to almost get yourself killed, I'll give him that.

Don't sweat the small stuff...the big stuff will sweat them for you.

I always sweat the small stuff...until Jurassic Park made me realize that I'm not doing anyone any favors by doing so. The little problems often require the little solutions...or as those velociraptors trapping Dr. Grant and co. during the movie's climax proved, the big ones. Never thought an opportunity would come when I could shout "T-Rex to the rescue!"

Dinosaurs are awesome!

All I can say is, I learned that living in a world that once had things like T-Rexes and Brontosauruses walking the Earth is freaking awesome.

Jurassic Park is the gift that keeps on giving! These are just some of the lessons I've learned from watching this groundbreaking movie, and I hope you find more to learn! Thanks for reading!

Be the grains of sand, and nothing but time will take you. The rocks must become it, the waves and wind must bear it and those who would hold it find it slips through their grasp. Always some trace in a faraway nook, if never the whole is seen again.